Dr. Howard E. Fields III is the 2020 National Elementary Distinguished Principal from Missouri. Described as a passionate and courageous leader, Dr. Fields started his career in urban education, serving as a coach, teacher, assistant principal, and principal. In his first year as a principal, Dr. Fields was responsible for navigating what would become known as the Ferguson Unrest. Although the school was located down the street from where Michael Brown Jr. was shot and killed by a police officer, sparking five months of contentious interactions between community members and law enforcement, Dr. Fields’ leadership was a driving factor in increasing his school’s Annual Performance Report (APR) by 200%. This was among the highest growth of any North St. Louis County public elementary school in 2015. As a result, Dr. Fields was recognized by the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals (MAESP) in 2016 with the Exemplary New Principal Award. That same year, he was also named one of North (St. Louis) County Incorporated’s 30 Leaders in their Thirties.

In 2017, Dr. Fields was internationally recognized by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations for the innovativeness of his research. Accompanying his 132-page dissertation was a feature-length documentary on the topic of Missouri’s Student Transfer Law, a law that forced unaccredited school districts to pay the tuition and transportation costs for students who decided to transfer from their home district to attend an accredited school district in the same or adjoining district. After nine years in urban education, Dr. Fields transitioned to a suburban school district in the fall of 2017. Within one year, Dr. Fields expanded elective course options for sixth grade students to include Computer Science, Drama, Art & Design, and Foreign Language, all with existing district staff. He also implemented Passion Days, a shared facilitation model that affords K-6 students the opportunity to learn from staff and community passions prior to sharing their passions with their classmates. Dr. Fields consistently worked closely with community advocacy groups to address inequalities in the areas of inclusion, student performance disparities, diversity, and systemic racism.

As a mentor for the Missouri Leadership Development System (MLDS) and facilitator for the Missouri Leadership Academy’s Outdoor Learning Experience (OLE), Dr. Fields frequently shares his experience and perspective with current and aspiring administrators.

In 2018, Dr. Fields expanded his involvement in shaping the future of the education field by becoming an adjunct professor at Harris-Stowe State University, a historically Black college and university (HBCU) in St. Louis, MO. Last year, Dr. Fields co-founded the organization Black Males in Education St. Louis (BMESTL) to support, develop, connect, mentor, and empower current and future educators of color. Later that year, he was inducted into the first class of the Mehlville School District Alumni Hall of Fame.

Dr. Fields has authored several articles and has been highlighted in national publications such as Education Week and Principal Leadership, and consistently shares his knowledge and expertise while presenting both regionally and nationally. In February of this year, Dr. Fields co-founded the inaugural State of Black Educators Symposium, an event created to increase the recruiting, support, mentoring, and development of Black educators. With over 1,400 people registered and an abundance of support from schools, universities, nonprofits, and businesses, The State of Black Educators Symposium will return for a second year in 2021, which has emerged to a national event.

In July of 2020, BMESTL won the 2020 Launch Code Moonshot Challenge Award for challenging convention and forcing tough conversations while working toward building consensus. In August of 2020, Dr. Fields co-authored his first book, Voices by BMESTL. Focused on enhancing Black male experiences, perspectives, and voices in the field of education, this book would be recognized as a #1 New Release in the Education Policy & Reform category on Amazon just days after its release.

Currently, Dr. Fields serves in the capacity of Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources in the Kirkwood School District where he has led the charge to adopt two equity policies as well as spearheading efforts to revamp the interview process to focus more on equity, diversity, antibias, and antiracism.